Human Trust on Earth
By: Dr. dr. Sunarto, M. Kes. – IKM FK UII
Alhamdulillah, we offer our gratitude to the presence of Allah SWT for all the blessings of faith and Islam that have resulted in a state of happiness in this world and insha Allah until the hereafter.. Greetings and shalawat we convey to the lord of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, his friends and people who are pious and become living examples. Gratitude, we interpret from oral speech, feelings and thoughts to the act of carrying out good deeds.
Reflections on Human Creation:
- Perfection of creation, as we often recite in prayer, namely QS. At Tin [95]: 4 which reads:
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْاِنْسَانَ فِيْٓ اَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيْمٍۖ
"Indeed, We have created man in the best form"
- The purpose of human creation is to worship according to QS. Adz Dzariyat: 56 which reads:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْاِنْسَ اِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوْنِ
"And I did not create jinn and humans except that they serve Me."
- The mandate of creation as caliph:
Al-Qur'an Surah Al Baqarah verse 30:
وَاِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلٰٓٮِٕكَةِ اِنِّىۡ جَاعِلٌ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ خَلِيۡفَةً ؕ قَالُوۡٓا ??? وَنُقَدِّسُ لَـكَؕ قَالَ اِنِّىۡٓ اَعۡلَمُ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ
It means: "And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels, "I will make a caliph on earth." They said, "Are you going to make people who destroy and shed blood there, while we exalt your praise and sanctify your name?" He said, “Surely I know what you do not know."
An example of interpreting the three verses is very clear, humans are created in a perfect form, who are assigned to be caliphs or leaders on earth. Leaders on earth have the intention that humans must be able to manage their own facilities and nature for the happiness of life. The author means that humans are required to work as optimally as possible for the preservation of life on earth in order to achieve happiness with all nature, not only humans but other living things.
How to manage God's creation on earth, what we do is also according to God's command, namely "Read" as in the letter Al Alaq verses 1-5. Reading the verses of Allah has the meaning of reading the verses of Kauliyah which are contained in the word of Allah, the entire contents of the Qur'an and the verses of Kauliyah which exist in the expanse of natural events. Reading this will lead humans to be clearer and more detailed in knowing all of His creation. Reading is seeing and analyzing all the contents and meanings, which are then compiled using certain methods that are systematically arranged, which are then formed into the category of Science which simultaneously gives birth to technology. This science and technology is one of the human instruments in carrying out his mandate as caliph on earth.
The next way is that humans are obliged to work hard to get the blessing of Allah SWT which is lawful and thoyib.
QS. Al-Ankabut verse 17:
فَٱبْتَغُوا۟ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرِّزْقَ وَٱعْبُدُوهُ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لَهُۥٓ ۖ إِلَيْهِ تُرْ جَعُونَ
Meaning: "So seek sustenance with Allah, then worship and be grateful to Allah. Only to Allah will you be returned.” (QS al-Ankabut: 17).
QS. Al-Jumu'ah verse 10:
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّه ِ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
Meaning: "When the prayers have been performed, then scatter you on the face of the earth; and seek Allah's bounty and remember Allah much so that you may be successful." (QS al-Jumu'ah: 10).
In addition, Rasulullah SAW also said the following:
"Surely one of you carrying firewood on his back is better for him than begging someone, whether that person gives it or refuses it." (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
Thus it is clear that humans were created on earth in a perfect state, who were given the mandate as caliphs on earth to manage well to achieve the happiness of all nature. The best step to carry it out is by reading and working correctly and systematically according to written teachings and instructions for natural phenomena as regular sunatullah.